What Does The Web Say About Your Clients?

A good friend of mine once complained that women - particularly American women - are "schizophrenic" in terms of the many roles they are meant to play in society. Personally, I think that is a load of bunk as I see men playing the same number of roles. But, he does have a point in that who we are in one aspect of our lives (i.e. work) may differ greatly from who we are in another (i.e. with friends).

How does this relate to PR, marketing and social media you ask? Well, our online personas are increasingly impacting our overall images - and that of our clients. Reconciling these different roles in this era of "putting it all out there" can be rather daunting, especially when your gig is image. Do you know what photos your clients have on Facebook? How about on dating sites? What does that Super Poke they just got or that "Which Sex & The City Character Are You" quiz say about them? And, as their professional image-makers, is it any of our business?

The New York Times calls it, "impression management" and it is fast-becoming a hot topic as social media grows more prevalent in our daily lives. We've all heard the stories of college students losing job opportunities and even scholarships because of some illicit images on their MySpace page or an unfortunate video on YouTube. I'm sure many of you remember the kid who told his boss he had a family emergency, only to get busted when a photo of him at a Halloween party appeared on Facebook.

And, really this is nothing new. I remember when I was just a junior exec at Ogilvy, I was tasked with selecting applicants for our internship program. During one call, I got an outgoing answering machine message that was clearly recorded when the kid was very drunk with his friends. I did not ask him to come in for the interview. Now, I know college kids party, and as a junior exec, my own rambunctious college days were not far behind me then. But, considering the job was a PR position, I felt if this kid didn't have enough sense to manage his own image, how could we trust him to manage our clients?

Michael Agger of Slate.com addressed this topic recently in terms of what your online photos say about you. (A fascinating read). As someone who does not want his photo made public, he opted for a manga-tranformation image of himself using the University of St. Andrews' super cool transformer program. Agger asks the question: which version of yourself do you put out there? The "you" your frat brothers know? Or, the version that your boss sees? In other words, which aspect of your schizophrenia, as my pal calls it, should you make available online?

As PR pros, we painstakingly manage our clients' images right down to every detail of a photo shoot. Does a suit-and-tie make him look old-fashioned? Should she sit or stand? What story does each picture tell? Whether that photo is going on the company's web site or in a magazine, it is our duty to help them put forth the best image for themselves and the overall brand. But, how much of that can be undone within one dating site or Facebook survey? And, where is the line in terms of what we can and can't advise our clients to do?

These days, a reporter can easily pull client photos and quotes from every corner of the web. So, with that in mind, it would behoove us to take a careful look at what content they are putting out there and then diplomatically demonstrate how it could be taken in the wrong context. These won't be easy conversations to have. That line between personal life and professional image is an important one to be sure. But, I would rather risk offending my client in a way that demonstrates my thorough concern for their image, than have to play damage control later.

-- my two cents

New Tricks for Green Marketers to Go Viral

It's no secret that the Green consumer loves to tell everyone how Green his life is. According to a 2007 Newsweek article, Honda customers left the company in droves, opting instead for the Toyota Prius because the Hondas just "didn't look Hybrid enough." (Honda plans to release a new hybrid in 09 -- as well as a 62 MPG diesel in 2010 -- that "will not be wrapped in the sheet metal of Honda's everyday cars. Instead, it will have the larva styling the Prius pioneered — which now embodies the green-car look.")

Now, I love that it's trendy to boast about small carbon footprints. Given the state of our planet, it's a great thing for the environment. But, let's not forget, it's a great thing for Green marketers too. The more consumers talk about new ways to stay Green, the more likely they'll be talking about our clients.

Recognizing this trend, a few eco-friendly brands, including Origins, North Face and Honest Foods have launched online platforms that reward consumers for engaging in various Green initiatives. These online communities allow people to submit their own content demonstrating their Greenness. Consumers can share their latest uploads through IM and email as well as by reviewing and rating each other's activities. Behaviors are rewarded with prizes for “most popular” or “most viral” entries.

Green marketers should consider employing a platform like this. Not only is it a great way to engage consumers, but the nature of these platforms is to drive viral reach. The company behind this technology is Brickfish, a social media platform that "taps into the power of consumer driven marketing ... providing brands and agencies with a single source solution to leverage the power of social media sites and user-generated content for truly effective online marketing efforts that drive awareness, analytics and action."

What gives Brickfish a leg up on other social media platforms (for the moment) is the reporting. The company provides a visualization of each viral campaign enabling marketers to understand how content is shared between users. And, they claim their "approach has proven to be 5 to 10 times more effective than traditional online marketing methods such as display ads or search optimization.”

Now, as is true with anything Internet - early adopters like Origins, North Face and Honest Foods will have a greater chance of capturing market share. As more and more brands develop their own viral/user-gen-content platforms, the idea will lose impact and, let's face it, there are only so many same-sites people want to visit. Either way, Green products lend themselves perfectly to viral marketing and kudos to Origins, North Face and Honest Foods for embarking on a solid approach.

-- my two cents

Viral Marketing Can Be Beautiful: Matt Harding and Stride's Global Dance

You know, folks, sometimes "viral" can be really beautiful.

I'm sure many of you have already heard about Matt Harding's "Dancing" video sensation. More than 4 million people have viewed his latest release on YouTube and, according to the New York Times, at least another million have watched it on other sites in the two weeks since it first appeared. It has also spawned unprecedented media coverage around the world.

The video consists of Harding dancing a rather silly dance in 69 different locations, including India, Kuwait, Bhutan, Tonga, Timbuktu, the Korean DMZ and, at the 3:22 mark, in my hometown of Atlanta. This is a beautiful piece of Internet art; I defy you to watch and not smile as your heart fills to the brim with global goodness. (article continues below)



The current video is actually the third installment of a project that began in 2003, when a friend filmed Mr. Harding doing his dance in Hanoi where he worked designing video games. The whole thing blossomed from there as Harding soon discovered he really didn't like working a 9 to 5. So, he took the money he'd saved and embarked on a trip around the world where he performed his little dance in various cities as a way to show his travels to friends and family back home. As I always say, it only takes one good blog to launch a campaign...soon a blogger got a hold of his first video and then another and another. The next thing he knew, he was an Internet sensation, even before YouTube made such a thing commonplace. (Harding told his story in this great clip posted last year).

Soon after that first video, the Stride Chewing Gum Company offered to underwrite Harding’s subsequent travels with virtually no strings attached. While I don't quite get the connection between Stride and Harding's delightful global jig, this is one case where I'm not entirely sure that matters. In fact, it is the lack of brand connection and product promotion that makes the tie-in work. As the NY Times points out "the company is acknowledged at the very end, but amazingly, in this era of shameless commercial tie-ins, Mr. Harding is not obliged to wear a Stride T-shirt or deliver a little pitch for the product."

Had there been a more blatant promotion, there is no way this vid would convey the magic that it does; the fact that Stride kept the artistic integrity of the original global project has brought them extensive praise. Again, to pull from the NY Times article: "you can’t watch “Dancing” for very long without feeling a little happier. The music ... is both catchy and haunting. The backgrounds are often quite beautiful. And there is something sweetly touching and uplifting about the spectacle of all these different nationalities, people of almost every age and color, dancing along with an uninhibited doofus."

Of course, the real question is: did it work? Harding's 2006 video saw more than 10 million views and delivered major spikes in web site traffic for Stride Gum, plus a reported 8% increase in sales, not to mention global media coverage and brand awareness. Today, Stride has become the 5th best-selling brand in the sugarless gum category, up from 6th place in in 2007, when it tallied sales of $65 million, according to IRI. Prior to its relationship with Harding, Stride didn't even register on IRI's list of 20 top-selling brands. Clearly, the goofy dance is moving the needle.

So, I say congrats to Harding and Stride for proving that viral can indeed be beautiful, tasteful, remarkably subtle, and highly effective.

-- my two cents

BRIEF UPDATE: Check out the Stride Gum site for some great outtakes that didn't make the cut. Some are beautiful, others are hilarious!

Some content pulled from the reporting of CHARLES McGRATH of the New York Times.

Words to Write By: SEO Tricks for Press Releases

I'm sure you all are using Google Ad Words and Word Tracker when drafting your press releases. (If you aren't, you should, as these tools will help ensure solid SEO for your news).

In addition to those sites, I caught an interesting piece in The New York Times on words that sell to search engines.

According to the article the top words getting attention right now include: "money," "fat," "cancer," "sex," “safe,” “easy,” “secret,” “trick,” “breaking," "toxic," "green," "environment," and "foreclosure."

In the article, David B. Armon, the president of PR Newswire, reminds PR Pros that every word we use in our releases has to do heavy lifting. “It’s a lot more scientific than it used to be,” Mr. Armon said, “because you’re not just trying to get media pickup, but to get search engine attention. We’ve done 412 press releases that incorporate the word 'foreclosure' so far in ’08, up from 261 last year.” He also added, the use of the word “toxic” in news releases is up 5 percent.

Of course, just as there are words that will help increase your visibility, there are also "empty" words that will fail you. The article mentions: “solutions,” “leading edge,” “cutting edge,” “state of the art,” “mission critical,” and “turnkey” as words you really should avoid. Calling your client "a leader" is also deemed a waste of space.

I remember when I first started in PR at the beginning of the dot-com boom, everything was "cutting edge" or "innovative." We weren't even concerned with SEO yet, and still those words were so over-used they quickly meant nothing. I will never forget my then-boss advising me to "make every word count" in my releases. She said, "avoid any word that can also be used to describe any other company." Advice that has never been more important than it is today. (Thank you, Kellie Mullen!)

Another suggestion the New York Times gave is to pay attention to regionally-based words for regionally-based media attention.

The words that may help get a news release picked up vary from region to region. Brenda Baumgartner, the news director and anchor at KPVI, the NBC affiliate in Pocatello, Idaho, for example, looks for words like “fishing,” “hunting,” “Mormon” and “polygamy,” she said, “because they fit the culture we live around.”

Very interesting indeed. So, once again, get creative with your writing, folks! Think strategically and write well to ensure your news rises above all the clutter out there!

-- my two cents

Some content pulled from the reporting of JOANNE KAUFMAN at The New York Times.

Nokia's Viral Campaign Confuses Consumers

Nokia has launched a new viral marketing campaign designed to take advantage of consumer curiosity. Unfortunately, the message is so obscure and the timing is so poor, it doesn't seem to be attracting much interest.

First, they began with a site called OpenAtOwnRisk.com which challenged consumers with "A secret that can now be found within Nokia Download service, allowing the public - you, to find the key and break the seals. And see..." There was no indication as to what the announcement would be, although one can assume it will be related to a new product, service or software.

The story they're telling began "hundreds of years ago when several royal families got together and created something so unnerving, it was locked up behind four seals." The instructions on how to break the seals have been hidden for generations. And, now the seals were to be broken, according to a hidden count down, around 101 hours from the initial site launch. In other words, today.

This morning the same URL contained a sly "notice of termination" letter that appears, at first glance, to be a genuine cease and desist order to the person who launched the site. But, the copy indicates the person behind the site will stand trial accused of "intent to publish content driving people insane." Obviously, this is not a real charge and is the next step in the campaign.

While the concept is clever, the execution of this campaign is flawed. There hasn't been a great deal of media coverage on it, even in the blogosphere. And, the coverage I have seen is largely confused by the campaign. Now, being confused is not necessarily a bad thing. Getting people asking each other what it is and what they think the announcement will be was clearly the goal here. But, Nokia has some things working against them in terms of really generating interest. First, the 101 hour countdown took place over a U.S. holiday (4th of July / Independence Day) when a lot of people were on the beach instead of online. Secondly, some bloggers and commenters on blogs are confused by the notice of termination letter. Many people, it seems, are not reading the letter closely enough to catch the joke of it and are, instead, dismissing the campaign entirely.

Clearly, the letter is designed to generate more anticipation and further the notion that whatever lies behind the seals is terribly strange. Unfortunately, the delay in showing this content is creating the opposite effect. People are losing interest.

I will keep you advised of new developments in the campaign. But, so far, it seems to be a good idea executed poorly.

-- my two cents

PR Pros Should Read This Book

I have a book recommendation for all you PR pros out there. However, please allow me to preface this by answering a common question. With all the PR & marketing surrounding the upcoming U.S. election, I'm often asked why I don't comment on it. The simple fact is, I don't want this to become yet another political blog and it can be very difficult to separate commentary from political agenda. So, I have chosen to avoid discussing campaign strategies here. That said, the book, Alpha Dogs: The Americans Who Turned Political Spin into a Global Business by James Harding, editor of the Times of London, is a must-read for everyone in our industry.

The book outlines the rise of U.S. political strategists from the PR consultancy, Sawyer Miller Group, who have led the campaigns for every U.S. presidential candidate from Nixon to George W. Bush. Not only does Harding cover the campaigns these men created here in the states, but, even more fascinating is how their strategies have influenced PR strategies abroad. A great example is from UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown. As Harding tells it, Tony Blair was widely criticized for having "too much spin" in his campaign. So, positioning himself as the anti-spin candidate, Gordon's tag was, "Not flash, just Gordon." His entire campaign is a great example of spinning a no-spin image.

Harding goes on to outline how these U.S. PR strategists influenced political campaigns around the world, including Peru, the Philippines, Chile, Israel, throughout South America and Western Europe. There are some very interesting speech-writing episodes as well - particularly with ideas that work in one part of the world not necessarily translating to different cultures.

I hope you'll pick it up; it's a great read that's funny, insightful and really rather inspiring in an odd way.

-- my two cents

A Rebuttal to Cohen's Attack on PR

As many of you know, our profession came under attack earlier this month in the form of a commentary from CBS News legal analyst Andrew Cohen. I wasn't originally going to respond to Cohen's ridiculous denunciation, but your emails have changed my mind.

If you don't know the general allegations, Cohen begins by addressing Scott McClellan's new book and that McClellan, a PR pro, lied to the American people about activities within the Bush administration. Cohen goes on to say that all PR professionals are liars.

Show me a PR person who is "accurate" and "truthful," and I'll show you a PR person who is unemployed.

My first reaction is that Cohen is engaging in the very behavior he condemns when he unscrupulously applies the actions of one to all. I saw on the news a few years ago where a dentist was groping his patients while they were under anesthesia. But, I would never accuse every dental professional in the world of such abhorrent behavior.

As much as Cohen likes to mock PRSA's code of ethics, his is a blind and unsubstantiated attack. The myth that PR pros are "flacks" whose job it is to lie is merely that, a myth. Reporters rely on PR pros to deliver accurate information and should that information prove to be false, you can bet that PR pro will be blacklisted. I have seen it happen. And, not just to us. I once took on client who didn't know he had been blacklisted because of misinformation to media. I had to work hard to rebuild reporters' trust in that client. Trust that is necessary to do my job. So, the truth is that Cohen's statement should be the reverse: show me a PR person who lies and I'll show you a PR person who is unemployed.

Cohen also claims that PR is an industry the very essence of which is to try to convince people that a turkey is really an eagle.

This hits on a common misunderstanding of PR that I would like to set straight right now. Spin. For a long time now, "spin" has been linked to lying. It is not. Spin is merely "having or conveying a particular viewpoint" (as defined by the Encylopedia Britannica and dictionary.com).

The word spin as it relates to PR comes from its original definition: "to produce yarn by spinning." When women used to spin yarn on spinning wheels, they frequently did this in groups and, to pass the time, they told each other stories. In time, the phrase to "spin a yarn" came to mean to tell a story. PR - or spin - is is simply the art of story-telling.

To tell a good story through the press, one must have accurate facts to support it. A young entrepreneur who started his company in his dorm room...that's a good story that would be best told with photos, early clients, and anecdotes from former classmates and professors. An industrial designer who became frustrated with the diminished capacity of his vacuum cleaner decides to create a new one...a former football player who simply could not find a pair of blue jeans that fit him, so he created his own line of jeans...this is spin. This is story-telling. This is PR.

For another rebuttal to Cohen's scathing attack, I give you author Bill Schwartz (pen name Stanly Bing) and EVP of Communications for CBS News. In this rather hilarious video, Schwartz addresses Cohen's accusations - even stating that people who call us "flacks" are in fact "hacks."

Now, there is one point Cohen makes which I will concede: Public Relations professionals should do a better job of positioning what we do. The challenge there is that the best PR pros are invisible. The best PR pros (in my view) are never quoted. We are behind the scenes. The more people know what we do, the harder it will be to do it. Although my close friends have all come to love and admire good PR through their relationship with me, they are also more savvy at spotting the "PR" behind a company or product and that makes it less effective. Plus, to disclose more about our role, takes some of the spotlight from our clients, which is just all kinds of wrong.

With that in mind, I leave you with advice from the great Shel Holtz: There’s been a fair amount of discussion lately about whether PR people should shine a light on their own efforts, since it has traditionally been viewed as inappropriate. But the world has changed and social media have made it more acceptable to write about the work you’ve done on a client’s behalf—with that client’s permission, of course. It would also be great if someone started a clearinghouse site or blog that aggregated cases of PR conducted in a way that would make Cohen and his ilk rethink their assumptions.

-- my two cents

FCC To Crack Down on Product Placement

Yesterday, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced they will launch a formal inquiry into new rules requiring more disclosure of product placement. With the rise of DVRs and more people watching TV and movies online, thereby skipping commercials, product placement spending reached $2.9 billion in 2007, a 33.7% increase from the previous year.

Meanwhile, shows like The Biggest Loser, The Apprentice, America's Next Top Model, Project Runway and American Idol have raised eyebrows. The FCC states that fans of AI, including millions of 2- to-11-year-olds, were bombarded with 4,151 product placements in the first 38 episodes this year. As a result, the FCC is devising a plan by which consumers will be told when companies have paid to use their products as props. (note: The Nielsen chart to the right only covers the first 29 episodes.)

To improve disclosure, the FCC will consider requiring "notices similar to what political candidates must say before or after campaign ads." The agency will also "examine whether embedded advertisements violate FCC rules on children's programming, which require a few-seconds break in between the show and an ad." And, commissioners will "look at whether new product-placement rules need to be extended to cover cable programmers, which are currently exempt."

It has been reported that three advertising industry trade groups urged the FCC to downgrade the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to a mere Notice of Inquiry (NOI), an investigative procedure that cannot lead to rulemaking. The commission has not yet announced whether it will adopt an NPRM or an NOI.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Hollywood writers have recently complained about increased placement, particularly when asked to write product pitches into scripts. In the TV drama American Dreams, sources say the writers were told to rewrite several scenes to give Oreo Cookies a more prominent role. More industry insiders, who prefer to remain anonymous, admit to the WSJ, "it's scary when a brand's financial investment in a show gets them to rewrite the scene around a product."

Of course, sometimes, the product placement was there long before screenwriters entered the picture - and in some cases it was not paid at all. Breakfast at Tiffany's and Miracle on 34th Street come to mind.

Some don't believe product placement has gone haywire, but they do say the industry needs a governing body to keep an eye on things. "The reality is if I'm watching a show and I feel like every other second they try to hock a brand to me, I'm going to flip the channel," says Wes Brown, partner at research firm Iceology. "That's the beauty of choice."

Now, I am a believer in good product placement. When a relevant brand is smoothly integrated into a scene or program, it can be extremely powerful. As I've acknowledged here before, even I am not immune to that box of Special K sitting on the kitchen counter of America's Next Top Model. And, just recently, while sobbing my way through an episode of Extreme Makeover Home Edition, I caught myself thinking, "I should get a Sears credit card for house stuff."

So, let's take a quick look at some examples of product placement on steroids. The movie Transformers, entertaining though it may be, is clearly a feature-length commercial for Hasbro. There was so much placement that by the end of the film, I was more distracted with counting the number of brands than watching the movie. From The Strokes tee-shirt Shia wears throughout to the Nokia phone he uses, and the discussion about who makes Nokia (the Swedes, apparently) plus, Radio Shack, Apple, Sony, Coke, Visa, eBay, PayPal, Chevy, Pontiac, Dodge, and Porsche; the movie was an orgy of brands.

Many have reported that the product placement in Sex & the City: The Movie was beyond anything we'd seen to-date. In fact, Vanity Fair sent two reporters to watch the movie and count the number of product placements built-in. They reported twenty-six different clothing and accessory designers; eight stores and services; seven gadgets (including Carrie's Apple computer, an iPhone and a Blackberry); seven publications; seven drinks and snacks; five beauty products (like shampoo and moisturizer); and eight places or transportation brands (like American Airlines, Mercedes-Benz and the Four Seasons Hotel). The movie, in fact, proved to be such a prominent vehicle for advertising that a New Line Cinema executive dubbed it the "Super Bowl for women." Likewise, there was so much demand for the fictional designer bag rental site featured in the film, that the site Bag, Borrow or Steal has become a reality. (please note correction below). Now, anyone familiar with SATC knows these characters have always been obsessed with brands, so the presence of these products made sense; overboard, though it may have been.

The best product placement is believable and subtle. I don't know about you, but I certainly groaned when Iron Man's Tony Stark, having just returned from months of imprisonment in the Middle East, insists he wants a hamburger and the next shot shows him eating Burger King.

Placement becomes a problem when it doesn't work. And Iron Man's BK bit is a great example. My pal, Patrick also noticed it and whispered to me, "a gazillionaire wants a burger and goes to BK?" It was so unbelievable, it pulled us out of the film and has us discussing the many other really good burgers he could have had. In other words, that expensive product placement only made us think about how lousy a BK burger is. Not exactly the reaction they were going for, I'm sure.

The magic of good product placement is that is is subliminal, even if it is scripted. If you don't notice it or see it only in your mind's eye, it works. I can't imagine anything less subliminal than Ryan Seacrest listing every brand behind American Idol in his "off the cuff" delivery.

In truth, regardless of FCC disclaimers, it's not likely that product placement and brand integration will go away any time soon. The practice has been around since the beginning of mass media like radio and television. In the 1950s and 60s, brands sponsored the entire show sandwiched between two commercials. "Geritol presents Twenty-One!" In fact, the disclaimers the FCC is suggesting sound like a return to these early sponsored-programs like the "Chesterfield Supper Club with Perry Como" a show brought to you by Chesterfield cigarettes. Or, "The Dinah Shore Chevy Show."

We all know conventional advertising has lost its effectiveness. People fast-forward through commercials, so brands are forced to come up with creative ways to reach consumers.

In some ways, the abundance of products in film and television (and songs and computer games and Second Life...) is merely a reflection of reality. We are a society obsessed with brands. As I write this, I am in a Starbucks. I'm on a Mac with the Apple logo glowing brightly for all to see. The man next to me is listening to his iPod. Another customer has her Sony Visio. The guy in the corner is displaying the Nike swoosh on his hat. Another fella has Hilfiger across his chest.

Fact is, we are a brand-loving society. Product placement is just a part of who we are and how we approach consumerism. Does anyone really believe Randy, Paula and Simon are drinking Coke or that the AI kids really love those Fords they sing about? Probably not. But, then again, I did apply for that Sears card.

-- my two cents

P.S. Click here for some ROI on famous product placements.

CORRECTION: BagBorroworSteal.com has been in business for four years and did not pay for the placement in SATC. (Please see the comments section). Thank you to Jodi Watson, the company's CMO, and other readers for this correction. Your diligence is much appreciated.

Clorox & Sierra Club: The Good, The Bad, The Green

We've talked a bit here about Greenwashing and the importance of honesty and accountability in Green marketing campaigns. I came across an interesting case study that has some celebrating success and others crying foul.

As was reported in January, Clorox was granted permission to use The Sierra Club's name and logo to sell its "Green Works" line of cleaning products, in exchange for Clorox paying an undisclosed percentage of sales to the environmental group.

The campaign brought with it both controversy and cash for Clorox.

AdAge reported yesterday that "Green Works sales are estimated at $20 million and the product with the Sierra Club tie-in has gotten exposure on 'The Oprah Winfrey Show' and 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show,' resulting in Clorox raising its volume forecast five times."

Meanwhile, the Sierra Club has been slammed by members and non-members alike. Four Sierra Club chapters actively and publicly opposed the deal, which, according to some accounts, resulted in 27 leaders' expulsion from the group.

In fact, a quick search turns up many blogs by angry Sierra Club members decrying the partnership. In the political blog Counterpunch, former member Karyn Strickler insists the Sierra Club sold out to Clorox. And, Tim Hermach, also a former member, writes in his Green Change Blog that The Sierra Club has become "just another corporate front." He goes on to say, "They are whoring the environment for financial gain, they've lost their mission and lost their way."

Betsy Roberts, a former chapter chairwoman, and Karen Orr, a former chapter political-committee chairwoman, blasted the suspensions in blogs and online environmental publications, arguing it happened as the national group pursued "its unsavory new focus on lucrative revenues from corporate donations."

Green Works' brand manager, Mark Kohler dismisses the criticism as "misinformation" and says the negative press has been "frustrating" for Clorox.

Amid protests and Sierra Club suspensions, Clorox sought to reassure customers that its environmental claims were genuine, and not just hype or Greenwashing with PR messages in various blogs, in "guest essays", and interviews, as well as publicity stunts like representatives from Clorox and The Sierra Club jointly ringing the bell to open trading.

Still some environmental experts questioned the Sierra Club's decision to back Green Works without a standardized review process that applies to other products, too.

"It sounds risky both to Clorox and the Sierra Club," said Scot Case of the group EcoLogo, which sets environmental standards for products. "I would want to know exactly how the Sierra Club made its determination. Unless they are going to publish the standard that products have to meet, it sounds like a form of greenwashing."

As Green marketing continues to grow and more brands hop on the bandwagon, this Clorox case study should be a lesson to us all. An argument could easily be made that sales are up, so who cares if there is criticism. But, it will be interesting to see what kind of backlash continues and how/if that impacts the overall brand.

Similarly, with the Sierra Club bearing the brunt of the backlash (the notion being that of course Clorox did this, they're corporate; but a trusted environmental group should have known better), it's highly doubtful this group and others of its kind will be quick to offer product endorsements in the near future.

-- my two cents

A Comic Answer to a PR Problem in Japan

Concerned about safety and the impact on the local fishing industry, residents of Yokosuka, Japan have been protesting the U.S. Navy's stationing of a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in nearby waters. 48,000 residents called for a public referendum on the deployment of the USS George Washington causing PR problems for the Navy and local Japanese officials who support the carrier's presence. (Although nuclear-powered US ships have made hundreds of visits to Japan over the past 25 years, the ship will be the first piece of nuclear military hardware to be permanently stationed there.)

In a unique PR move, the U.S. Navy hopes to spin public sentiment their way with a comic book.

The plan is to distribute 26,000 copies of a comic book titled Manga CVN73, which is the George Washington's hull number. The Navy hopes the 200-page book, with its super-positive take on military life will turn Yokosuka residents around on the carrier's presence.

The comic, drawn by Japanese cartoonists hired by the U.S. Navy, follows Jack Ohara, a third-class petty officer, as he overcomes seasickness and prepares for his first overseas mission -- to (wait for it) Japan. In one scene he quickly puts out a fire that has broken out on board the ship. An odd choice considering that just last month, the real George Washington had a fire on board that left "two crew members with minor burns and another 23 needing treatment." U.S. Real Admiral James Kelly said of the incident, "This is not something for the citizens of Yokosuka to worry about."

According to Stars & Stripes News, the comic book tactic is working. After word got out that sailors were giving away advance copies, lines quickly circled the docks in just three hours.

"The format appears to be perfect for tackling points of contention," said Navy Commander, David Waterman. "The response has been phenomenal. People told me if we passed out a brochure or tri-fold, they wouldn't read it. But, with Manga CVN73, we're speaking their language."

Yokosuka resident Marie Matsuka, 29, said the comic book triggered her interest in the issue. "I decided to learn about the USS George Washington because of this."

While one blogger called the Navy comic "propamanga," Matsuka and others said whether or not they agree with the carrier's deployment, reading the comic gives them a better understanding of the Navy's mindset.

"It's good since I can learn about the U.S. military's perspective," said Yoksuka resident Shintaro Yoshida. He went on to say he wanted to show his father the comic book because his dad likes military ships.

As unusual as the tactic is, it does seem to be working so far. I came across Japan Blog, which "covers all things Japanese." The author, identified only as Maki, described the use of the comic as "a marvelous idea" with one blog comment from "BambooForrest" adding that the strategy is "very interesting and clever." Likewise, a site called Let's Japan seems impressed with the comic and the campaign behind it.

Now, I am not an expert in connecting with that market; so I'll let the campaign's success or failure speak for itself. In the meantime, it is certainly the most unique strategy I've heard in a long time and it will be interesting to see how this plays out - especially with older Japanese residents.

-- my two cents

photos courtesy of Stars & Stripes

Are Press Conferences Obsolete?

Someone asked folks on Linked In if press conferences are becoming obsolete. The responses range from "they are a classic PR tool" to a broadcast reporter exclaiming that PCs are "the last thing any decent broadcaster needs." So, you know I can't help but offer my two cents on the subject.

Personally, I have always disliked press conferences. Unless you are dealing with an in-demand celebrity (corporate or entertainment) or you are commenting on breaking national news, usually scandalous or crisis/disaster, it's very difficult to get media to show up. And, I don't blame them. If I were a reporter, why would I want to cover the same story with the same visuals and the same talking points offered everyone else?

On the flip side, as a PR pro, I surrender control in the PC environment. With a one-on-one interview, I have a better shot of helping my spokesperson lead the reporter to the angles we want to discuss. But, in a press conference, every reporter present hears every question asked. So, if a reporter from XYZ Magazine brings up a negative angle, every other reporter there is likely to go down that road with them. This just wouldn't happen in a one-on-one scenario. Similarly, a mistake made with one reporter is much less damaging than a spokesperson blunder in front of a group, where it will be covered by everyone present. So, even if you are able to attract a crowd, you may regret it.

Now, some say a PC is still the best way to launch a new product, especially with demos. But, once again, new media has changed the game. Webcasts, podcasts, and RSS feeds are a much better (and cost-effective) means to get the word out because reporters can "attend" them on their own schedule and can watch and re-watch to ensure the most accurate reporting. Plus, you can post it to your own site as well as YouTube, Google Video and user-generated news sites to further the reach.

Similarly, if you do have news that is truly of national significance, a good Satellite Media Tour (SMT) can deliver the larger exposure of a press conference in the intimate setting of a one-on-one.

Most CEOs love the idea of standing behind a podium with a gaggle of reporters hanging on their every word. And, it can be a challenge to convince them that a PC is not the way to go. Sometimes, it's a battle that can only be won in defeat. For example, a couple of years ago, only when my client was faced with just two reporters in attendance, did he really understand that he is not (much to his chagrin) Russell Simmons.

Now, as always, there is a time and a place for everything. If your CEO is facing a crisis/disaster like a chemical fire or product recall, I would absolutely recommend a PC. But, for the most part, there are much more cost-effective and strategically sound tactics to take.

-- my two cents

It's the Internet - Do You Know Where Your Brand Is?

The other day, I was talking with David Allison, editor of the Atlanta Business Chronicle, about consumers discussing brands online. At one point David said, "I bet most Atlanta companies are blissfully unaware of what's being said about them on Technoratti." Now, we've talked about social media creating brand evangelists here, but David got me wondering how many PR pros are looking at what's being said about their clients online? How many are seizing opportunities to turn around dissastisfied customers? And, how many are making hay of their fans' positive comments within social media.

The Stats

According to Nuance Care Solutions, 72% of survey respondents use social media to research a company's reputation for customer care before making a purchase; and 74% choose to do business with companies based on the experiences shared by others online. Meanwhile, 59% said they regularly use social media to "vent" about their customer service frustrations. Only 33% of respondents said they believe companies take online complaints seriously.

Turn The Tide

While it's always risky to engage negative posters, (I would advise you not feed the trolls), monitoring and responding to genuine customer complaints online can be a great way to catch a problem early and turn it around. Demonstrating a desire to solve the problem can ultimately result in positive posts. In fact, most of the time angry customers really just want to vent and a savvy PR pro can turn the tide of negativity by simply showing a genuine interest in solving a customer's dissatisfaction.

Watch Competitor Talk Too

It can be very useful to monitor what customers are saying about the competition (good and bad comments). This way you can ensure your messaging counters competitive claims and/or demonstrates how your product succeeds where their's fails.

Find Good Stories To Tell

There is such a great opportunity for PR professionals to identify brand evangelists and develop campaigns around them. A fan of Lego’s, Mike Stimpson, recently re-created some of the most famous photos in pop culture history using nothing but the colorful building bricks and characters. While the images appeared on blogs and news aggregate sites like Digg.com, I couldn’t help but wonder if The Lego Group’s PR team would promote his work. There is a great story there. (I could see a spot on Ellen, Today or Letterman). What inspired him to do this? How long did it take? Why did he choose certain photos? Why did he choose Lego’s? (The most important question of all).

But, like so many brands, The Lego Group seems to be missing a great opportunity to promote their customer telling the brand’s story. Fact is, those photos depict the fun of Lego’s. That is the message this guy is getting out there and The Lego Group should jump in and grow the story. By identifying and promoting brand evangelists within social media PR Pros can generate new story ideas for press.

How To Monitor

Okay, so, how do you find what people are saying in every corner of the web? There are a lot of great tools to seek these conversations online.

Google and Yahoo Alerts for keywords in search engines.

Google Blog Search to search blogs that don't index on the main or news page.

Yahoo Pipes give you an aggregate and mashup of multiple feeds.

BlogPulse is a great way to identify trends across blogs.

Google Trends measures the level of interest in particular topics.

Compete is a great way to track rivals.

Serph is an all-in-one social media search engine.

Keotag is similar to Serph.

Tweetscan lets you search keywords within Twitter.

Commentful lets you track comments and trackbacks within blogs and some boards.

BoardReader and BoardTracker are great for following board/forum conversations.
Radian6 is a rather newer tracker. They focus more on videos and multimedia.

As I've said many times here before: social media has changed the game. We have more opportunities for story-telling than we’ve ever had before. We just need the opportunistic thinking to go along with it. We need to get out there and to turn negatives to positives while giving a bigger microphone to those who endorse us (or our clients).

-- my two cents

Great Viral Video from LastMinute.com

Any fans of the 80s TV show Fame? Man o man did I love that show when I was a kid. Just the idea that you could miss class because the whole school was immersed in a song-and-dance routine thoughout the halls was enough for me to want to attend. "Sorry, teacher, I couldn't make it on time; Danny just dumped Julie and she wasn't sure she could get through her audition this afternoon, so we had to sing and dance her confidence back."

Well, lastminute.com has created a hilarious viral video called "Unexpected Performance" that harks back to the "spontaneous" song-and-dance (much like ImrovEverywhere's Food Court Musical).



The vid was filmed at a London airport where seven hidden cameras brilliantly capture the unsuspecting crowd's reactions when a member of the cleaning crew breaks into song about her desire for crisps (US translation: potato chips). One by one, she is joined by other pitch-perfect singers and dancers and suddenly, folks have their own Broadway-style show smack in the middle of the terminal. It's sort of like a well-organized flash mob (remember those), but with talented participants. The vid finishes with a sign asking: "When is the last time you went to the theatre?" And, another explaining: "Get 50% off theatre tickets at lastminute.com."

Now, this really is more advertising than a full-on viral campaign, but I can't resist talking about it here because it fits all the key necessities of a good viral video.

Transparency. Right from the start, it sets things up by announcing the hidden cameras, the "undercover" actors and an "unexpected performance." And, of course, by the time you see the closing, you get the whole point of the ad. Nobody is trying to pretend it's real.

Compelling Content. The performances are good and the crowd's confused reactions are priceless.

It's relevant to the brand. The whole video is completely relevant. The song sounds like something you'd hear on Broadway; the crowd is fun to watch; the performance makes sense once you see the marketing message; and if I were heading to NYC and saw this in the airport with that 50% off tag, I'd definitely check out lastminute.com to see what's showing.

It's generating buzz. As of this writing 170,662 people have watched it and are discussing it on YouTube. And, bloggers like me sure are talking about it.

So, this is a great example of a good viral video. Simple. Compelling. Transparent. Relevant.

If there is more to follow (i.e. sites, rabbit holes, easter eggs, and additional vids), then I'd officially call it a viral marketing campaign. But, even as a stand-alone ad-vid, it works. So, well done lastminute.com. You won my business.

-- my two cents

Using Twitter for PR & Marketing Strategy

Ever since BusinessWeek's Twitter test in early May, I've gotten a lot of emails asking how I use Twitter and what I think of it as a PR tool.

I have to admit when I first got on Twitter, I thought it was silly. Like so many people, I just didn't get it. Who cares if I am doing laundry? Do I really need to know that someone I never met before just picked up his kids from school? Then, I started snooping around and reading tweets and following links and I finally got it. Soon, I was tweeting and now, I'm just as addicted as everyone else in the twittersphere.

Some people have asked me about tweeting news releases. I have done this, yes. But, I'd advise you to really consider the news and who is following you. Make sure it is relevant, otherwise, you really won't see any results. You may want to look into Digg, StumbleUpon, Squidoo, Newsvine, Tumblr and many other pure news distribution sites if that is your only goal.

Now, there are many great articles on how to use Twitter and I'd definitely advise newbies to check those out. But, you know I can never resist joining the conversation with my two cents. So, here's my advice on how to use Twitter.

Why Do You Want To Use It?
First, ask yourself what your objective is. Do you want to use Twitter for research? To make connections? To stay on top of specific topics? To drive web site or blog traffic? Job recruiting? Job searching? As with anything, you have to start with your objective and build from there.

Building Your Following.
As someone with only 166 followers, I'm not going to win any popularity contests on Twitter. But, I've only been active for a few months, and my objective was blog traffic. So, 166 PR professionals is more important to me than 1,000 random individuals. Again, it goes back to your goal.

That said, here are my tips to building a following.

Ask questions. Social media is about community, conversation, participation. Don't just tweet your links. Ask questions and tweet conversation-starters that will engage your followers.

Make it a conversation. When someone tweets something I find interesting, I comment on it. It starts a discussion; a debate; anything to create that social interaction beyond just posting links. Be sure to give a proper shout out. If ABC@xyz.com tweets, reply to him with Hey ABC@xyz.com, that was hilarious...or I disagree, or whatever you want to say.

Post your twitter page elsewhere. Just as I have my company's site, my Facebook page, etc. in the contact me section of this blog, I have a twitter link. I do the same on my MySpace page, Facebook, Squidoo, Furl, Digg, etc. The more you connect all of your social media sites together, the more you will create consistency and a broader reach.

In fact, Facebook has a Twitter application that will automatically copy your tweets to your Facebook page. I also use the blog app so every blog post I make here instantly appears on Facebook too. Synchronicity, baby.

Follow those who follow you. If someone starts following you, return the favor. Social media is always a two-way street.

Use Twitter tools.
Twitter has added many tools that make using the site much easier.

Tweetscan - This allows you to search for specific things that people are Tweeting about. It's a great way to tailor your audience to a specific topic and avoid having to look through all those, "I'm eating lunch," "I'm watching TV," "I'm running out to get some groceries" tweets.

Snitter is an application you download to your desktop that keeps you from having to constantly go to the Twitter site, you can just tweet from your desktop. You'll get your friends' tweets too.

Twitter Cal is a calendar app I haven't really started using yet. But, it can be a great way to let others know where you are, something I'm personally not that crazy about doing. (You never know who will show up!) But, if you are on a speaker circuit or have a lot of news articles coming out, it can be very useful to keep people apprised of those events. (I'd definitely recommend this if you are tweeting as a company, not a person.)

Also, there are many other micro-blogging sites emerging that are proving to be pretty cool. I'd recommend checking out: Pownce, Jaiku, Friendfeed for example. Just beware of over-use. I've found if I get on too many sites at once, it can be a real drag trying to keep up with them all and as soon as your voice dwindles, you defeat the whole purpose. So, as is true with everything in life, don't over-extend.

In the meantime, send me your tweets and let's get the conversations going!

-- my two cents

CNN's iReport New Channel For Savvy PR Pros

As you may know CNN purchased, revamped and re-launched a citizen journalist site called iReport.com, which is basically YouTube for news where people can submit their videos, photos and even fully-edited news stories, complete with citizen-anchors, fancy graphics and investigative reports. In BETA-form for the past few months, it seems the site is now locked and beginning to pick up some steam with more than 100,000 news stories submitted.

The submissions are uncensored and unverified, unless they are selected to appear on CNN, in which case some fact-checking is done. When a submission is selected, it is stamped with an "On CNN" label so viewers know that it was picked up.

Some have criticized the site as a contradiction of CNN's reputation as a trusted name in news and have suggested that libel and defamation suits could come from harmful submissions. For instance, says the Wichita Eagle, while you're out of town, someone who means you harm goes to your house, posts one of those "Sex Offender Lives Here" signs and does a feature story about the problems neighborhoods run into in such situations. Your enemy puts it -- unverified by anyone -- on iReport.com, where the entire world has access to it courtesy of CNN. And if it's done properly, every time anybody Googles your name, guess what they discover about you.

A rather paranoid assumption in my view, but I suppose I just don't consider myself as someone who has enemies -- especially anyone who would go so far as to create a fake news story about me. Besides, the scenario suggested by the Wichita Eagle could easily occur via YouTube or Google Video without the help of user-gen news sites.

CNN executives acknowledge that iReport.com's openness is something of a departure for a news organization that prides itself on accuracy and editorial judgment. But citizen-reporting has become increasingly popular and in many cases has even proved beneficial in the reporting of breaking news. (Some of the most compelling footage from last April's shootings on the Virginia Tech campus came from the 420 user-gen video clips CNN received, while last year's California wildfires yielded more than 11,000 submissions.)

It's also important to note that iReport is not entirely new. Sites like Fox News' uReport, MSNBC's FirstPerson, ABC's i-Caught have been operating in largely the same way for quite some time now and there haven't been any defamation lawsuits filed to-date.

For PR pros, these kinds of sites are super cool as we now have a new channel through which to distribute news about our clients, including speaking engagement highlights and new product launches/demos, a practice already seen on YouTube and Google video. Although, I would strongly advise you use caution when creating these reports, as deceptive tactics will most assuredly result in flamed comments and damage to the brand. PR-generated reports should be identified as such, just as we would identify ourselves in a video press release. If you approach citizen-news sites with the same creativity and complete transparency as any good news announcement, you should come out strong - and your product demo might even get picked up by the sponsoring media group.

-- my two cents

Social Media Sites You Should Know

A lot of people ask me about my favorite social media sites. This is a challenging question to answer given that every day new sites emerge and bring with them great possibility. Likewise, the best social sites are the ones that speak directly to your target audience, so in many ways the whole "favorite" or "best" question is really subjective to the content.

That said, I have compiled a list of the social sites that have already proven to drive traffic and some that I believe are going to gain critical mass because of their niche status.

And, listen, when it comes to social media, do not forget about message boards/forums. I have yet to find any other medium in which you can spark conversations faster and generate content that moves online among target groups. Just use caution in message boards; don't try to be clever. Be transparent or you will be flamed, ruthlessly. If you can talk the talk, do so. If you can't just be honest about who you are and your intentions.

I will update this list as new sites are identified. In the meantime, happy socializing!

Agent B (deal/promotions site)
ArmChair (sports)
AutoSpies (cars)
Babblz (parenting)
BallHype (sports)
BuzzFlash (news)
Care2 (social action)
DayTipper (tips on a variety of subjects, gardening, cooking, auto-mechanics, etc.)
Dealigg (deals)
Digg (news)
DesignFloat (design)
Dissect Medicine (Health & Medicine)